1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera imaging module of the kind which is used for taking digital pictures.
2). Discussion of Related Art
Digital cameras are becoming increasingly popular for purposes of capturing images digitally, storing the images in memory, and later downloading the stored images to a computer.
A digital camera is typically manufactured by first mounting a series of lenses inside a housing under fabrication conditions that are controlled to ensure optimum optical results. The subassembly including the housing and the lenses is then usually shipped to an entity which mounts the camera subassembly to a printed circuit substrate having a light detector array or other imager thereon. The conditions under which the camera subassembly is mounted to the printed circuit substrate is often not controlled to the degree which will ensure optimum optical results. For example, conditions under which the camera subassembly is mounted to the printed circuit substrate are often not clean enough, resulting in contaminants being trapped inside an enclosure which is defined by the housing and the printed circuit substrate, or for a lens to be mis-aligned with respect to an imager.
Furthermore, the housing usually includes two components which are rotatably engaged with one another. By rotating one of the components relative to the other, utilizing an extraneous device, the total length of the housing can be adjusted and the positioning of the lenses can be adjusted relative to the imager to maintain an image, created on the imager, in focus. Unfortunately, dust can also enter the housing through an interface between the two components.